How to Be a Father

I’m a father, and I have no idea how to bring up a Jewish boy. All I know is not to do as my father did. Although that’s generally exactly what I end up doing. I want my son to grow up strong in his Jewishness and confident about his own self.

A. Dad

Shalom Dad,

There’s only two short lines you need to know. It’s the first dialogue there is between a father and his son in the written Torah:

Then Isaac said to his father, “My father?”

And Abraham said, “Here I am, my son.”

There’s more, but we need to stop here first, so you can see the forest.

We’ve had those words before—only once before—at the beginning of this same tale. Abraham is answering his son with the same words he used earlier to answer G‑d:

So it was, after all these things, that G‑d tested Abraham, and He said to him, “Abraham!” and Abraham answered, “Here I am!”

And then G‑d asks Abraham to do something that goes against every cell of his body and soul: To harden his heart, turn off his mind, take his son and “raise him up for a sacrifice on one of the mountains I will show you.”

Men know the modality. Numbness. Gotta do what I gotta do. We do it when we go to war and when we go to work, when we fire an employee and when we discipline a child. There’s a small voice inside, screaming, This is not who I am! How can I do this? And we just tell it to shut up so we can get the job done.

We’ve all been there. You’ve got a deadline at work. A major meeting about a big contract. Nudniks to deal with, driving you nuts. Rush-hour traffic stuns your nerves. 7:30 AM the next morning, and you don’t want to go. Not a cell in your body wants to go. But you have to.

Okay, it’s not who you are; you’re a family man with family priorities. But to feed a family, a man’s got to make sacrifices. Don’t feel what you feel, don’t think what you think. To do so would be to drive yourself insane. Smother that voice inside. Be a man, as men have been ever since their feet met the cold, hard earth. Just do.

The dad inside gets turned off. And along with him, so do his kids.

“Dad?”

“Dad?”

“I’m busy now.”

“Dad?”

“Sorry, son, I’m busy. Go talk to Mom.”

That’s what this bizarre world can do to a man: on the way to provide for his family, he sacrifices them on their own altar.

So here is Abraham, in the midst of his greatest test. He can have only one focus: to do what he was told. And that’s where he is, 100 percent. After all, this isn’t just about making a living. This is about hearing G‑d’s voice. And so, Isaac calls out to him, not certain that his father is really there.

“My father?”

“Here I am, my son. All of me. For all of you. What’s up?”

Perhaps that was the whole test. Perhaps, with that alone, Abraham proved that he was fit to be the father of the nation that would bring G‑d’s compassion into the world.

Perhaps. But this I know for certain: With those words, Abraham passed on the torch to the next generation. Because when Isaac saw that his father was all there for him, in the same way and to the same degree as he was there for G‑d when G‑d spoke to him, then he was ready to be all there for his father and for his father’s G‑d.

Those words are all you need to know to be a real Jewish dad. The rest will follow.

It sounds good. You celebrate Shabbat and so your children will celebrate Shabbat. This is quite true in Chabad and orthodox Judaism. It's mainly focused on indoctrination and less on leading by example. Just my observation and no judgement.

Anonymous

January 18, 2013

Son becomes the father

Just like moon in sky
is reflection of the sun
father shines light on son
until his job is done

Eventually if father is righteous
son shines brighter than all
brought about by daily study
so start now, don't stall!

Dr. Harry HamburgerMiami

January 17, 2013

Putting the effort of trying to be there for your Children

It is true what some of the comments above, our children mimic us. Yes, it is great that we go to work and provide for our children. But if we put the effort to try to be their for our children, and it shows them that we love them. Tomorrow when they leave the nest, their wings will be strong for their journey into parenthood if we try do the right thing. According to the Torah, the Shabbat is the day that God rested and we are commanded to keep it holy. It is a day of rest and day of family gathering. And if you keep the Shabbat, they too will celebrate the Shabbat. The meaning of A Jew to me personally is God(God is the center of my life), family and my Jewish community. We are God's Children, we share the same Jewish soul and therefore, we should extend our understanding to a Divorce Jew with out judgement. We are not perfect but try to do what is right.

Anonymouswauconda, IL

December 12, 2012

To be a good Jewish father

To be a good fatherone thing important to doregardless what happened in pastmust become a righteous Jew

For sins of the fatherswill forever melt awaywhen observe holidays with sonand keep the Sabbath day

Do not give him porklike the alien nations dokeep Kosher with your sonmust become a righteous Jew

Know father is a reflectionof what son will bewant him to grow up rightthen Jewish father must see

"FYI, many years ago when my first son was approaching his bar mitzvah, I realized that I should be the one teaching him about Judaism. I studied, prayed, wrote religious poetry, and eventually became a Bresleve Rav. Now my boy is 17 and writing college application essays. When he is asked the two greatest influences in his life he always writes, "my mother's Colombian heritage, and my Judaism". Learn to study 1-2 pages a day, and before you know it you will be teaching your son also. Baruch Hashem!

Dr. Harry HamburgerMiami, Fl.

December 12, 2012

Time Away From Children is Ingredient for Child Failure

Cheryl had written that she understood and accepted her husband's business travels and absence from Parent/Teacher meetings, children's events and other family time opportunities.
I fear for her children.
I also fear for him, since as a father, he will likely live to regret his absences. Children do need and prefer their father's presence in their lives. Research shows that children thrive best when there are two parents thoroughly engaged in their children's lives.
Should a couple as Cheryl and her husband separate and divorce, the court will show suspicion and impose visitation options that he will not be able to live comfortably with. Should such a father petition for greater visitation rights, the Court will view his past history as showing little regard for the children and likely deny him, especially if the mother attempts to block such access. That blockage happens in more than thirty percent of cases.
Cheryl's husband should read Caro's "Laws of the Family."

Mark Roseman, Ph.D.delray beach

December 7, 2012

before

i commented on the bonds of Chese-Gevurah, Hod-Sod for good education and a tight bond.
I still cannot accept the Akeida. It was a mistake. G-d also made a mistake at Sinai and Moses rebuffed Him on it. It does not mean that Hashem isn't perfect. It means that He too is a parent, and all the stuff that comes with it.

Anonymous

December 6, 2012

As a mother of triplets, I find this article comforting because I have always felt that my husband's role as a provider to our family should be considered one of tremendous sacrifice and selflessness. The reality that he can not make teacher parent conferences, plays, sports events does not make him less of a dad but just the opposite. I can not tell you how many times I have been confronted by teachers who inferred that my husband's absence is a sign that he is not involved with his children. Some teachers have went as far as saying your husband should to be here I would then respond sorry your stuck with me because he is out of town on a business meeting. I feel that society and hollywood should stop dictating what our roles as parents should be. After reading your advice to the new dad I realized that perhaps my husband and I got this right.

Meryl ZuckerbrodPalm Beach Gardens Fl

November 2, 2012

Great article...i hope you're reading this Mr. Kroll

Great article. I'm so glad you touched on the idea of educating your child, and connecting it to the akeidah. Besides from just parenting, I think the story of the akeidah brings many lessons to the forefront as to how to educate our child...mainly, that we're putting our own chidren on the spiritual akeidah when offering them, so to speak, to Hashem in the way of Torah and Mitzvot. And when the akeidah is built properly (not that we're going to kill our own child G-d Forbid), then our child will willingly go onto the path we've directed for them. But if we're not in tune with G-d's voice, and the voice of our own child, then the education that we as parents have provided can't really be carried out because our children will simply run away. They'll say, "No way am I getting on that altar man." But when we educate the child according to their way, then we'll be meritorious to have many more children that will carry out the path that's provided for them by us and our forefathers.

Reuven SutinBrooklyn

November 1, 2012

Great!

I am becoming more religious so I know the weight of those words "Here I Am." It is the same as when Hashem says to Adam "Where are you" and Adam hides, because he no longer is present in paradise. Or when Jeremiah asks "How", how could the temple be destroyed, how did we become corrupt, how did the father who was great 5 minutes ago open a letter from the IRS and now he can't hear his children asking for him to be present? This is a really great post. It reminds us that Torah is that weapon we learn to wield in prayer and deploy when the yetzer hara (evil inclination) focuses dads on the IRS letter instead of our child. "Here I am" reminds us that when our mind is reeling, our child will be left with that memory of how dad handled himself. Abraham & Issac survived that bad time, and dad will survive that letter from the IRS. "Here I am" means Dad is here for you my child, no matter what else is going on.